Mississippi River forecast to rise 18 feet in eight days in Memphis

Tom Lee Park was partially covered with water during the historic Mississippi River floods in May 2011. The Mississippi River in Memphis, usually a half-mile wide, measured 3 miles across. The river crested just at 48 feet. Due to heavy rainfall upstream, the Mississippi is once again forecast to rise. This time forecasters are predicting a jump of 18 feet in 8 days.

Following recent low water levels, Memphis will see a dramatic rise of the Mississippi River over the next several days due to heavy rainfall upstream.

The river was at 5.12 feet on the Memphis gauge late Saturday. It had risen to 12.2 feet by Tuesday afternoon and was forecast to hit 23.1 feet on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The jump of 18 feet in eight days is significant, said Jim Pogue, spokesman for the Memphis district of the Corps of Engineers. Recent rains in the Ohio River and upper Mississippi River Valleys are responsible for the ongoing surge.

"It is certainly supposed to come up dramatically," Pogue said Tuesday.

The significant increase will put the river at a level typical for the season, but still below the flood stage of 34 feet and far below the near-record crest of 48.03 feet during the floods of May 2011.

Water levels have been low upriver in the St. Louis area, where Tuesday evening the river was at minus 1.6 feet. According to the Corps of Engineers in St. Louis, a drought has caused historic lows to water levels throughout the Mississippi River Basin.

Last month, officials in Memphis said docks of Presidents Island businesses often can't operate normally when the river is at minus 5 feet or below. And low water levels also cause issues with the flow of barges on the river.

The river was at minus 8.2 feet on Dec. 5 on the Memphis gauge and at minus 3.4 feet on Dec. 12.

The river is currently lower than average, but not critically lower, Pogue said. If more rain doesn't follow up, the river will drop again, but the winter season should bring more precipitation.